For years now, market participants have been arguing on whether or not “the” market top has been seen. So far, those who had suggested “a” market top yes, but not “the” market top have won the argument and prevailed. That being said, “this time”, both economically and market wise, it appears likely that we are in the later stages of a growth and bull cycle.

This conclusion may be easier to reach compared to the timing of a correction that could follow it. I am watching multiple “big money” sources, and all I see is a wide spread agreement on a tiring up trend, but hugely different projected time lines of a reversal.

Well then, what do we do now?

The Sun is Gone

Since 2008 global financial crisis, central bank balance sheets have grown from 3-5 trillion dollars to 15-20 trillion, China included. This 12-15 trillion created out of thin air did pull the global economy out of a deep hole and some but, has also created a dependency on easy money.

In short, FED driven expansion days are over. We all need to tattoo this on our chests backwards so we can read it in the mirror as a reminder every morning…and drop our habits developed in the last 9 years relying on it. Party bowl is gone and it’s time to sober up.

The direct effect of easy money policies has been stretched valuations in most asset classes. You can see this in your stock portfolios, real estate and speculative investments.

The good news is, that the global economy is still growing, valuations came down a bit from highs due to the drop in Feb-March of this year and forward earnings are closer to historical averages. Plus, just because the monetary easing has stopped and tightening has been resumed, it doesn’t mean liquidity has dried up. There is still plenty of cash hovering around globally.

You might ask: How much longer can the economies grow, and what if forward earnings disappoint?

The answers are: Probably not for much longer, and a correction would only be natural.

But I Have a Light

Yes, the FED sun is gone, but there is still plenty of light. The global growth is in tact and a recession isn’t an evident threat in the short term. Pro-growth policies are gaining traction, interest rates are still low, consumer and business confidence are high. On the cons side, populist rhetoric and policies, trade wars and anti-immigrant sentiment raise political risks, which can override the positives rapidly.

Just when the volatility has risen, inflation is looming, currency fluctuations are hurting trade, oil price is up and FED is in a tightening mode, the last thing markets need is irresponsible and short sighted political outbursts.

Had I just focused on newspaper headlines, I would say liquidate all your holdings and start planting tomatoes cause a third world war is looming. Luckily, there are plenty of reliable indicators suggesting that things are not that bad.

Here is a critical question in that regard: which single data point has the highest probability of predicting a recession in the US? Like any other question in finance, you’ll get many different answers to this but I agree with Ray Dalio, the manager of the largest hedge fun in the world, Bridgewater. He argues that the debt service ratio is the most important single data point as we live in a debt driven consumer economy. The end of a growth cycle usually comes with a debt service ratio high enough to hurt consumption. In other words, once the interest payment on the loan starts hurting new purchases, that’s when the party ends. Business cycles and equity markets are driven by this phenomenon. Without further ado, let me share with you that current debt service ratio in the US is at all-time lows, consumer balance sheets are healthy and household net-worth is at all-time highs.

What’s the Game Plan?

It’s a military rule, that strategic mistakes can not be remedied by tactical moves. Meaning, if you have your longer-term objectives, plans and action items lined up ineffectively, short term shifts can not bring ultimate success. So, first lesson from this is to make sure that you, or your financial advisor, wealth manager, financial planner etc…understand your long-term goals and your portfolios are adjusted accordingly.

The key thing here is to focus on asset classes more carefully then securities within in it, because 70% of a portfolio’s returns come from asset allocation decisions.

Once your asset allocation (stock, bonds, cash, alternatives) fits your long term strategic goals, then in the next 12-18 months, each time you see a high in the stock market, consider using that as an opportunity to lower your risk exposure from stocks to bonds, from international to domestic equity, from cyclicals to non-cyclicals.

As far as the timing goes, it is close to impossible to know when the bear will attack, but it’s probably fair to say that sometime within the next year or 2020. We may see a seasonal summer weakness ahead, higher volatility approaching the mid term elections, and a recovery during the seasonal Santa Claus rally.

But looking at the correction in 2015, let’s remember that the recovery at year end was reversed during the following January in 2016. This time around, that reversal to the downside has the potential to has a longer duration. To be fair though, the worst year in a 4-year presidential cycle is the current second year and the best year is the third, which will be next year in 2019, so there is still some things to be hopeful about.

The Key Factor

I was working at a bank during the Nasdaq bubble and at a money management firm during the Global Financial Crisis in 2008. In both cases what I have observed is, that from trough to peak, a buy and hold equity portfolio recovered its losses 5 and 4 years respectively (based on S&P 500 returns). For a risk adjusted, diversified and rebalanced portfolio, that time span was halved.

More importantly, those who got out at the wrong time, missed the fast run up following the drop. So, in other words, your stocks, bonds, cash and alternatives asset allocation, shouldn’t force you to sell at the worst possible time.

In fact, those are the times, in hindsight, appear to be the best times to start buying. The key is to be able to stay invested for the long term.

Summary

A peak in the economy and equity markets might be near. Timing the reversal of the uptrend is extremely difficult, if not impossible. So in the next year or so, you might want to consider lowering your risk levels during up swings to a level that will not force you to sell during the correction

Thanks for reading my commentary and as always, you can reach me at bbakan@shieldwm.com for questions and comments.

Disclosure

The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. The information provided is not intended to be a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any strategy. The examples presented do not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy. The information provided is not intended to be a tax advice. Investors should be urged to consult their tax professional or financial advisers for more information regarding their specific tax situations.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” – Soren Kierkegaard, 1813-1855, Philosopher

One piece of the profit/loss puzzle of investments that is so easy to see in hindsight, is that market pull backs, or corrections present investment opportunities. The bigger the drop, the better the opportunity. Therefore, in theory, a successful investor would be happy to see market lows, but that’s not how the story goes for a variety of reasons. The hard part is how to keep your cool and implement this wisdom in the midst of crisis, fear and while losing the market value of your invested funds.

Has the market bottomed? Is it time to buy? If you act too soon to buy, you may find yourself catching a falling knife. If too late, you’ll risk missing the profit train and kick yourself, thinking “I knew I should have bought it then.”, only to repeat this pattern again. Plus, what if this is the beginning of the next bear cycle? How do you know?

“Don’t fight the trend” and “be wary of extremes” both offer sound advice, but how do you reconcile these seemingly conflicting strategies?

Bring it Home

After a steep uptrend till Jan 26th, within two weeks major stock indexes lost over 10%, stepping in correction territory by Feb 8th. From there, prices bounced back up, gaining more than half of their losses by March 9th, only to visit the same low point as of this newsletter is written, at the end of March.

First, you have to use every opportunity to learn and evaluate your actions of the past. It is not too late to go back and see what you’ve missed. In fact, it’s mandatory for future success. If you can’t make sense of what has happened in hindsight, how can you live it forward?

You could have lowered stock exposure, re-balanced to your target weights, limited exposure to higher risk (beta) investments, and potentially raised some cash when the market was significantly overvalued and way above trend lines (some charting and technical analysis come in handy here). Probably towards the end of last year or the beginning of this year was the sweet spot. Yes, this is in hind sight but it does have some forward-looking remedies embedded.

If you believe this is the beginning of the next bear cycle, it’s never too late to start selling. (I am in the temporary and healthy pull back camp, which I will talk about next).

Second, you have to decide for your investments, whether or not the uptrend is still intact. What you’ll do next shall differ significantly from an investor who is convinced that a bear trend has emerged.

Even though political risks have risen and the volatility has come back, the global economy is in its strongest phase since 2008, and central banks are still accommodating. There is very little to no inflation for the most part, and employment numbers are strong (at least in developed economies), so recent moves are probably healthy and needed pullbacks. In fact, the down trend may have to get worse before it gets better. It is true that economies and markets can and do act differently sometimes, but not for too long.

Recent pullbacks have happened so fast in either direction, the volatility didn’t leave enough time for investors to shake up their complacency. The counter intuitive aspect of markets is that excessive enthusiasm is a bearish sign, and the opposite is also true. This is where and how you can aim to reconcile the question we’ve raised above, of how to be friendly with the trend but wary of extremes. Balance, is the key to all…

Just as too much voracity brings over-bought conditions, extreme doubt usually brings over-sold. Now, comes the hard part: for this reason, you almost want to see things get bad enough to get greedy again, and so far, I don’t see it. By the time you read this letter, capitulation may have occurred, but as of now, even though shaken, investors are not fearful, yet.

Last two points, 1 – Bull markets don’t die of old age and can resist recessions. Two of the last long term (secular) bull markets were between 1949-1966 and 1982-2000, 17 and 18 years respectively. Our current bull cycle is now 10 years old. 2 – The stock market is a leading economic indictor and usually signals economic recessions. Currently, a recession is a low probability event, and so by reverse engineering, a bear stock market.

In short, we may see a bit more volatility and down pressure before the next uptrend resumes, but when viewed as a technical pullback within the later stages of a bull market, recent action is/was probably a needed shake up.

Update on 4/2/18: After today’s (Monday) deep drop, the S&P 500 index has broken it’s 200 day moving average. If you needed a bearish sign, this should be on your list. My overall claim is intact, but with a tighter leash.

Thanks for reading my commentary and as always, you can reach me at bbakan@shieldwm.com for questions and comments.

Disclosure

The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. The information provided is not intended to be a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any strategy. The examples presented do not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy. The information provided is not intended to be a tax advice. Investors should be urged to consult their tax professional or financial advisers for more information regarding their specific tax situations.

“Whatever has the nature of arising, has the nature of ceasing.” – The Buddha

First thing first: I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and loved ones, and wish you a great Holiday Season, Christmas, News Year….under whatever name, shape or form you enjoy celebrating. My usual attitude I have adopted from a longtime friend is: “Is there something to celebrate? What are we waiting for?”

If you have read my previous newsletter, you might recall the above quotation and might be wondering if I have forgotten something. No, I haven’t. When I sat down to produce this quarter’s letter, I realized that I couldn’t have found a better quote, so I kept it.

As we’re approaching a new year, following a period of strong performance, many of you are probably nervous or wondering if a deep correction is due. Common questions are: Is this time to sell? Is there more room for growth? Should I invest now or wait for a downturn?

For those looking for quick answers: not yet; probably yes; and what about dollar cost averaging?

It all depends on your goals, time horizon and risk appetite. To demystify my answer, let’s dive in.

Cry Wolf

The current market regime we are in might be best described as the “most hated bull market in history.” For years, many participants have been calling for a correction and yet here we are, with solid returns.

I can not tell you how many client meetings I have had since 2011, making a bullish case, settling a client’s nerves, who had just read a report suggesting that huge losses were ahead.

There is actual research showing that some republican leaning investors had missed out on the “Obama rally”. It looks like now it is the democratic and liberal leaning investors’ turn to sit on the sidelines and watch the market that they so “hate”, to run up.

Looking at valuations and extreme optimism, is this “the” time to go out and save the shepherd from the wolves? If we do so, will we look like fools, again? There is a third way.

Don’t Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater

There is plenty of research that shows that the majority of portfolio returns come from asset allocation decisions. In other words, whether or not you will be invested in stocks, bonds, alternatives or stay in cash, is the most important decision. The effect of security selection, is miniscule compared to this very fundamental decision.

That being said, like most things, it is not black and white. You should make buy all, or sell all decisions. Better said, fine tune your asset allocation, to fit the current investment regime.

We are not bound to decide whether to fully get out of the market, or blindly stay in it. Instead, we need to keep our eyes on current market drivers, pay close attention to our time horizon and investment goals, and make adjustments accordingly.

Current Market Drivers

I am fortunate to serve many clients who are smarter and better educated than myself. One of them once told me “I don’t get what you’re doing, it seems so complex.” Coming from a man with a PhD in computer science, I was humbled, but to tell you the truth, it isn’t all that complex, it all boils down to:

Markets go up because there are more buyers than sellers.

Economies grow because more money is spent this year than last.

So, the two most important components are: 1 – How much money is out there? 2 – What is the investor/consumer sentiment? In short, it’s all about the FED and psychology.

How about valuations? Research shows that valuations are better indicators for long term (5-10 year) returns, but have a terrible record for shorter term (1-3 year).

The FED, crowd psychology, the economy and politics are undoubtedly interrelated but the end-result on investments has to be separately and carefully analyzed.

We still have a friendly FED, an overly optimistic crowd, a strengthening economy and a market friendly tax bill on its way.

Not too shabby, however the key word here is “overly”. In spite of Keynes’ famous quote “Markets can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent.” overly optimistic sentiment usually gets punished shortly after.

So…2018?

If you think I am giving mixed messages, that’s because I am. On one hand, I know that when the FED is friendly, the crowd is optimistic, the economy is strong and politicians are market friendly, fighting against this picture is foolish.

On the other hand, looking at historically high valuations, very little cash sitting on the sidelines, and extreme investor optimism, this might be the time to give the shepherd who cried wolf, the benefit of the doubt.

Action Items

How to reconcile these two sentiments?

Clarify the purpose of your investment. If you have a long-term goal, short term fluctuations shouldn’t scare you away from investing, but if you may need these funds within a year, this might not be the best time to get in.

Brace yourself for volatility. 2018 probably has one or two 5-10% pull back(s) built in to it. So, consider how to lower stock exposure, raise cash, or prepare yourself to ride the roller coaster, and have a 10% drop in US stocks as one of your what if scenarios.

Make sure you’re diversified. Usually, what went up the most, comes down the fastest. In the current case, it is the tech stocks. Make sure your tech stock exposure is in line with your risk appetite.

Have some international exposure. While the US FED is raising rates, European and Japanese central banks are still in their easing mode, most likely till the end of 2018. These countries, along with Emerging Markets may offer better value.

If you’re overly concentrated in any particular security, look for strategies such as put options.

Don’t be afraid of raising cash.

Watch for earnings because the market is priced for perfection and a negative surprise could be the black swan in the lake.

In Short

2018 will likely end up being a positive year, but returns may be muted and may come with volatility. So adjust your strategy accordingly.

Thanks for reading my commentary and as always, you can reach me at bbakan@shieldwm.com for questions and comments.

Disclosure

The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. The information provided is not intended to be a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any strategy. The examples presented do not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy.

The information provided is not intended to be a tax advice. Investors should be urged to consult their tax professional or financial advisers for more information regarding their specific tax situations.

“Whatever has the nature of arising, has the nature of ceasing.” – The Buddha

One key concept of Buddhism is “impermanence.” That which changes cannot be real, and so we shouldn’t concern ourselves with what is not real…right?

Given the stock market’s impermanent nature, which is bound to cease at some point (as resilient as it has been), should we still concern ourselves with its potential next move?

I hope so, because I don’t have much else to offer in this newsletter other than offering a forward-looking analysis to global equity markets. I hope you feel the same, will continue to read, and share with others, because otherwise, this has been a disastrous marketing effort.

Let me start with giving myself a pat on the shoulder, as I wrote this in April and it proved to be correct:

“…I will address these concerns, and conclude that the stock market still has room to grow, pullbacks are likely and they should be used as buying opportunities.”

Repeating one’s self is rarely a value-added proposition, but what’s a man to do when you’re exactly at the same spot: pull backs are likely as we enter the seasonally weak period of September- October, and given that long-term trends are intact, these pull backs should be used as buying opportunities.

Why? (Glad to see you’re still here. Buddha would be proud, if pride was an acceptable trait, that is.)

Following on the theme of gracefully repeating myself, I can’t tell you how many newsletters I have written about the infamous “Wall of Worry”. Everybody is worried about a recession, a market crash, a nuclear war, natural disaster…and more.

A few weeks after the 2016 presidential elections, I joined an investor round table at City National Bank in San Francisco; 7 out of 10 investors were bragging about going to cash with the anticipation of a correction. Since election day Tuesday, November 2016, the S&P 500 index market price went up 13%. (No, I wasn’t a part of that seven, and yes, I am proud, as I’m pretty far from being enlightened.)

The question isn’t, what potential problems are out there, which are almost always plenty. The question is, what current regime’s market drivers are out there and what do they tell us about the foreseeable future?

Current Market Drivers

Different market conditions create different winners and losers. My job as an investment strategist is to identify current drivers, track them closely, put them up against historical precedence and come up with a strategy that has a higher probability of being correct than otherwise.

The US dollar has been getting weaker against major currencies, especially the Euro. This favors large companies as they derive some (or the majority) of their income from exports. A weak dollar makes their products relatively more affordable and attractive to potential buyers.

Conversely, it hurts smaller companies because as input prices go up you get less for your dollar and small companies usually have less export exposure.

So, one would expect to see large companies do better in this environment, and that’s exactly what has been happening.

A dollar that is too strong makes US goods too expensive. This is especially true during a time when the US Fed is raising interest rates, strengthening the dollar. A little bit of weakness is welcome news. Of course, there is a line in the sand not to be crossed when it comes to this downside. Looking at macro indicators, the US dollar will most likely continue to deal with a strengthening problem, as opposed to crossing the line of getting too weak, in the short to midterm.

Rising interest rates hurt stocks, or do they? Like the case of the value of dollar, there are lines not to be crossed and within those lines, we can play happily in the sand box. The current slow pace and level of rate increase is far from damaging to the US equity markets. In fact, the positive correlation of bond yields and stock prices come in to play, and the market sees this as a byproduct of strengthening economic conditions. Until when? We’re probably a year or two away from a red zone.

At 4.3%, the current unemployment rate is probably at, or very close to its trough. Unlike the earlier years of this nine-year-old recovery, wages are improving. This may create inflation, and that’s bad for stocks. (We should all get used to a simple way of conveying our message with words like good, bad, disaster, terrific and fantastic. That’s about it. Five is plenty, plenty good, and very terrific.)

That being said, just as the unemployment trend is at a low point, so is the productivity. This implies, with increasing capital expenditures (Capex), companies can invest in their productivity gains and control their costs. This creates a headwind for the inflation rate, which is good, almost terrific.

Trump’s administration has disappointed markets with its lack of commitment to tax cuts and deregulations. So far, beyond some crazy tweets, a disasterous hair style and not so terrific rhetoric, if judged by actions, the executive branch hasn’t done anything a traditional Republican wouldn’t. Markets expected more than that, hence the surprising (or not) Trump Trade. But this disappointment has been somewhat baked in the cake. The excitement has faded, but albeit late, the possibility of corporate tax cuts and lower regulations, a party punch bowl for the markets, has formed a sidesway trend.

Valuations are stretched. Yes, but when was the last time US equities offered good value? The fact is, valuations don’t have a reliable record when it comes to market timing. Eventually, when the correction does happen, someone will say “I told you so.” This has been said for quite some time. Relative valuations however, especially in relation to bonds, still make a compelling argument in favor of stocks.

Global recovery/growth favorable. Markets that count, Emerging Markets in general, China, the Eurozone and Japan, have all been signaling for a path of growth and/or recovery. Speaking of valuations, on a global scale, equities are not overpriced, especially in the Eurozone, China and Japan. In fact, some good value can be found in those markets. Now of course, there are reasons why investors flock to the US markets, but a Blackrock research of the next 5-year equity returns shows the best results will come from the Emerging Markets and Europe.

US consumer and business confidence is high. In fact, Bloomberg Consumer Confidence Index reached a peak level since 2001. There are good reasons for this; low commodity prices, rising wages, overall stable economic conditions, low rates and improving net worth. Thanks to rising asset prices, the US household net worth has reached an all-time high of almost a whopping $95 trillion. In my career, if there is one lesson I have learned, it is to never discount US consumers’ resilience and their appetite for consumption. Under these conditions, if 70% of the US economy is driven by the consumer, the US economy has plenty of gas to push forward for another year or two.

Saving the best for last; the US and global economy is growing. Rainy days do come and they are needed, both literally and figuratively. But in general, they last a shorter time during summer months, and conversely sunny days are fewer in the winter. Similarly, pull backs and corrections tend to be controlled while the economy is in a growth mode. On August 30th it was announced that the US economy has grown 3% in the second quarter. This was expected, as the first quarter growth rate was a dismal 1.2%. Nevertheless, this is clearly favorable and in conjunction with similar results anticipated from overseas. My cautious, yet, optimistic view on the stock market remains intact. For an investment strategy, until proven otherwise, buy the dips, and start looking at international markets as well (if you haven’t already done so).

Thanks for reading my commentary and as always, you can reach me at bbakan@shieldwm.com for questions and comments.

Disclosure

The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. The information provided is not intended to be a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any strategy. The examples presented do not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy.

The information provided is not intended to be a tax advice. Investors should be urged to consult their tax professional or financial advisers for more information regarding their specific tax situations.

Many observers are surprised with the current levels of US Stock Indices. There is so much talk about stretched valuations, Trump Trade being over, the potential damage of rising interest rates, trade/currency wars, political uncertainty, rising inflation and last but not the least, the aging economic growth cycle, that given all this, stock prices seem unjustified.

Looking at this wall of worry, one might conclude that “the winter is coming” and it’s time to run to the hills away from the White Walkers, short sellers and bearish bets.

In the past, I have seen how Republican leaning investors, commentators and strategists have allowed their political views to cloud their judgement, and how this led to misguided conclusions, most of which, have been proven wrong.

Unlike the popular rhetoric, the stock market rallied during Obama years, the dollar got stronger, inflation has been tamed, unemployment dropped like a rock, the economy grew and the US has become the safe house in a shady neighborhood.

The thorns of this rosy picture have been stagnant incomes, and stubbornly elevated public debt.

Learning from this experience, investors need to set aside their political views and think with facts in hand, not allowing their preconceived notions to get in the way.

I will address these concerns, and conclude that the stock market still has room to grow, pullbacks are likely and they should be used as buying opportunities.

Concern 1: Stretched Valuations

No matter how you slice and dice it, stocks are expensive. Questions to follow:

1 – How expensive?

2 – Can they go higher from here?

They are extremely expensive when you just look at absolute, traditional, isolated price to earnings ratios. If this is your only gauge, the answer to the second question is a short “no”, and they can’t get go much higher from here.

But when you look at relative factors, especially when compared to other investment vehicles like bonds, real estate, commodities and currencies, stocks still seem to provide growth potential. Roughly a third of US domestic stocks’ dividend payout rate is higher than the yield on 10 Year US Treasury.

In other words, when compared to especially low bond interest rates, stocks are only moderately expensive and the answer to the second question in hand is a “yes”, they can still go higher.

Also, from a purely investment strategy point of view, all we really care about is the asset price action and when we dive in to it, we get good and bad news.

The bad news is that high valuation is a pretty reliable indicator of investment returns in the following 10 years. The good news is that the same cannot be said about the following 3 years. So, if history is any guide, one can conclude that the investment strategy could be to ride the wave while it lasts, especially in the next 3 years but moot your expectations for the next 10 year returns.

Concern 2: Aging Economic Expansion and Bull Market

We are in the eighth year of a stock bull market and economic growth. On average, economic expansions last about 5-7 years and the longest has been 10 years (1992-2002). The stock market not only hasn’t seen a bear market since 2008, it also hasn’t seen a 10% correction for 287 market days as of 4/1/17. So justifiably, some argue we may be approaching a rest stop with a horrible vista point.

I will counter this argument and hope to offer some consolation with 3 supplemental sets of facts.

1 – First let’s get the 287 market days without a 10% pull back, out of the way. Assuming we are in a long-term bull cycle, this is well within historical averages.

2 – The US stock market hasn’t seen bear claws since 2008, but came pretty close with a 15% correction (Q2 2015 – Q1 2016). During the same period, global stock market did face the bear with many developed economies’ losses of well over 30%.

3 – If we expand the above-mentioned period to Q1 2014 – Q1 2016, we’ll see a stock market that was flat for two years (consolidation). Such periods can and do act like a bear market, especially when they last for two years.

On the topic of economic expansion, the key thing to remember is that in spite of its duration, the growth level is still well below past recoveries, and current indicators do not waive the checkered flag for the stop pit.

Concern 3: Rising Interest Rates

It is true that stocks struggle during rising interest rate environments. The reasons for that are plenty but the usual suspects are: 1 – Increasing cost of money, makes it costlier to do business and invest; 2 – Some fixed income securities’ yields start to look attractive compared to risk adjusted equity returns.

That being said, current levels are low enough to give us some time before the danger zone. If you’d like me to be more specific, the 10 Year Treasury Yield is at approximately 2.5% and historical tendencies point to a 4% rate as the line in the sand in the tug of war. Based on FED actions, it may take us till the end of 2018 or into 2019 to reach that point. Since I try not to make predictions that far in advance, knowing what I know now is good enough to conclude that the current rising rate environment may not hinder equity returns.

Concern 4: Political Uncertainty

Markets have welcomed Trump’s presidential victory as they saw four arrows in his quiver:

1 – Tax cuts

2 – Lower regulations

3 – Fiscal expansion

4 – Trade wars.

Except for trade wars, the rest are deemed to be business friendly and hence will boost earnings. Well, this is a typical case of confirmation bias at least from the earnings point of view. As of 3/31/17, S&P 500 Operating Earnings Per Share has gone up 22.1% (Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices).

In other words, the earnings environment is the best in years and this is due to the pre-Trump economic environment, finally acknowledged by Republican leaning market participants, who for years have advocated a recession. (Sorry to sound speculative and like a sour cherry here.)

I welcome this development as it not only reflects domestic facts more accurately, but also global positive economic surprises.

For those curious minds, the biggest jump came in materials and technology sectors, 36% and 32% respectively, while the biggest loser was real estate by -32%.

In other words, given that a simpler tax code is better for business and the economy, smart deregulation can translate in to a more robust business environment and fiscal expansion is past due because of the FED’s inability to stimulate, setting politics aside, current stock levels may be justified.

Summary

For those readers who look for the blue or the red pill type of conclusion from all this, here is your takeaway:

Yes, the market seems moderately stretched

Therefore, a correction may be around the corner

“Sell in May, Go Away” strategy may prove prudent this year as we approach seasonally weak summer months

Thanks for reading my commentary and as always, you can reach me at bbakan@shieldwm.com for questions and comments.

Disclosure

The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. The information provided is not intended to be a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any strategy. The examples presented do not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy.

The information provided is not intended to be a tax advice. Investors should be urged to consult their tax professional or financial advisers for more information regarding their specific tax situations.

Even if the result of the US presidential election were different, the title of my last newsletter for 2016 would be same.

There are some significant changes in long term trends coming our way. I will discuss what those trend reversals are and what they may mean for your investments.

But first things first: I wish you a pleasant Holiday Season and hope that 2017 brings peace, health and prosperity to us all.

Reversal of Long Term Trends

A picture is worth a thousand words, please see 10 Year US Treasury long term chart going back to 1800s.

Please note that the current rise in interest rates is coming off of a base that was last seen during WWII. Bond yields have been in a steady downtrend since 1982. A 5% bond becomes more attractive when new issues pay 4%, and so it gets a premium. This inverse relationship between bond prices and yields has created a 34-year bond bull market since 1982. It is also important to note that the length of the previous bond bear market was 36 years, so I think this much is fair to say; a long-term trend might be in a reversal mode and when it reverses, it may stay there for a very long time. Just when the FED has completed its monetary easing tactics, and was getting ready to take back the punch bowl, something else also had happened: the US presidential election.

Many experts, including the FED itself, have been underlining the diminishing returns in monetary easing policies. In fact, the FED has been complaining about Congress falling short of doing its part in fiscal expansion to stimulate growth and fight deflation.

The unfortunate reality about US politics, is that it has been very difficult for a Democratic Party president and its administration to borrow and spend in this current environment, for two reasons: 1- It is a shared government with a Republican Congress and these efforts get blocked 2 – They are easily labeled as a road to big government and get a push back.

But with the Republican Party holding executive powers, especially with the tailwind created by the disgruntled masses demanding change, along with a Republican Congress, fiscal expansion is now the writing on the wall.

Add them together, this end of monetary easing and the beginning of fiscal expansion, and you get a rising rate environment. This shift will likely become the catalyst for our third big change: falling bond prices.

Although they are interconnected, these developments create some separately affected winners and losers.

For instance, a rising interest rate environment usually hurts stocks…but probably not this time, for three reasons: 1 – Rates are so low, current increase doesn’t pose a threat, just yet. 2 – It also signals the strength of the underlying economy. 3 – And most importantly, it may kick-start the long awaited “Grand Rotation” from bonds to stocks.

To recap, these four big events, 1 – End of monetary easing 2 – Rising interest rates 3 – Beginning of fiscal expansion and 4 – Great Rotation from bonds to stocks, signify the end of an era.

The side effects of this can be a strong dollar, rising equity prices and valuations, and a drop in residential real estate prices. These side effects, though they make sense, may be limited in size and/or occur at a moderate pace.

Moving on to our next big change item; tax cuts, both at the corporate and personal levels.

Corporate tax rates haven’t moved much, at least in a meaningful way since 2000. To be fair, after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, the Obama administration allowed corporations to deduct their losses from their current profits with a look back period of 5 years. This essentially created a tax cut for corporations, and contributed to an unprecedented profit growth.

Now, a real and significant tax cut may be under way, and I hate to put it this way but otherwise it could be a tough year for US corporations. A stronger dollar can hurt exporters, which most large US corporations are. Rising interest rates increase the cost of borrowing, and if you’re wondering why the US stocks have been going up since the election, along with the reasons mentioned above, the expectation is that a tax cut would more than compensate for these headwinds.

The same can be said about personal income taxes. The top tax bracket has seen an increase in the last few years but a tiny portion of the US population is subject to it. In fact, 50% of the tax payers don’t pay Federal Income Tax (but they do pay FICA taxes).

So, a tax cut would be a game changer depending on how it’s structured. Not all tax cuts are created equal. Someone making $35,000 a year, will likely spend a majority of the additional (marginal) cash that he/she receives. Conversely, someone making a million dollars year, will save a majority of the additional funds he/she receives. This dichotomy creates vastly different end results with tax policies…hence, the reason for all the heated discussions. Also, let’s not forget, lower tax rates mean a lower federal budget and larger deficits, unless of course, the growth it stimulates makes up for it…which is a whole other discussion.

Last, but not the least big change item worth mentioning, is the inflation rate. I think after years of being fearful of deflation, we might start observing some mild increase in the inflation rate which, at these extremely low levels, is not a red flag by any means but rather a significant change.

Your Investments

If one would take all this into consideration and form an actionable investment strategy, what would surface to the top? In my opinion, these areas may benefit from the above trends:

Small and mid-size company stocks with limited export exposure.

Large companies with cash stock piles, as the borrowing costs may start going up.

Industrial stocks may benefit from the infrastructure spending and capital expenditures, where the bulk of the fiscal spending may end up.

Tech sector, especially semi-conductors may benefit, as this sector gets a boost from capital expenditures.

Bank stocks, especially local banks may be the prime beneficiaries of a rising rate environment.

Energy stocks may get a boost, as they present one of the few areas of value in the market and benefit from a stabilizing oil price.

Consumer stocks, as tax cuts may boost consumption.

On the flip side of the coin, treasury bonds, especially those with long duration may see their values drop, so look for bonds that would be the least affected by rising rates, such as convertibles or inflation linked.

Lastly, be watchful of international investments and when you can, look for dollar hedged choices, as a rising dollar may hinder returns from returns from overseas.

Real estate prices may be flat or in a downtrend, as the mortgage rates have already started to go up, unless of course deregulation of this industry attracts newer demand.

It is always a fool’s errand to predict the future, but it is my job to take a shot at it. I hope my calculated guesses have presented an informative and interesting read for you.

Thanks for reading my commentary and as always, you can reach me at bbakan@shieldwm.com for questions and comments.

Disclosure

The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. The information provided is not intended to be a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any strategy. The examples presented do not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy.

The information provided is not intended to be a tax advice. Investors should be urged to consult their tax professional or financial advisers for more information regarding their specific tax situations.

“One of the funny things about the stock market is that every time one person buys, another sells, and both think they are astute.” – William Feather, Author of: Business of Life (1889-1981).

While chatting with a friend, who works at a large wealth management firm in San Francisco, I wanted to hear his take on whether we have seen a market top in stocks. He answered “…how many times have we asked this question in the last five years?”

This truly has been one of the most hated bull runs in history, and a stubborn question has been stuck in investors mind about whether we’ve reached a top. This skepticism coincides with all major US stock indexes being at all-time highs. The last time this condition was seen back in 1999, we all know what followed: the tech bubble crash.

In addition to stocks, real estate and fixed income markets have been in an extended uptrend as well. The only major asset class that hasn’t joined this party has been commodities.

By some valuation factors, stocks, along with real estate and fixed income securities, are too expensive to invest. For some market participants, global economy is losing steam if not approaching a recession. This sentiment is supported by data flowing from countries in Europe like Germany, which is at borderline recession and fighting negative interest rates. A similar situation can be seen in Japan. The situation is even sketchier in the United Kingdom as the Brexit boat is undocking to leave the European Union, and this surely hasn’t helped the economic projections of the island’s economy for the near future.

We have been in a growth cycle since 2009, which makes 2016 the eighth year in the current one. On average every six years a recession knocks on the US economy’s door. To add insult to injury, presidential election is fast approaching and the FED is getting ready for a rate hike. Who in his or her right mind would have a bullish view in the midst of all this?

Well, I guess I will cautiously be one of those crazies arguing for further growth in stocks and the US economy.

By no means do I dare to suggest that a 5- 15% pull back in stocks is inconceivable. On the contrary, now that we are in the last third or the second half section of a secular (long term) stock market up trend cycle, I do believe short and shallow corrections will be more frequent and volatility will rise.

The legendary economist John Maynard Keynes famously said “When information changes, I alter my conclusions. What do you do, sir?”. I try not to fight the FED, the trend, and facts, so I will change my mind when presented by information that suggests otherwise, but currently, I conclude a longer-term equity price appreciation hasn’t reached a capitulation phase – just yet.

Why is this? Please read on.

Accommodative Monetary Policy

In addition to the US Federal Reserve Bank, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and Central Banks of the UK, Switzerland and Canada, have been implementing their own versions of accommodative monetary policies. Add to this, Chinese interventions to stimulate growth and similar tactics implemented by governments and/or central banks around the world, and it is easy to determine that we are in an era of global accommodative monetary policies.

Even though the effectiveness of these policies has been diminishing, and going forward, fiscal policies will be needed to replace them, a dovish central bank still creates a stock friendly environment.

It would be stating the obvious to say that the US Federal Reserve is getting ready to increase interest rates, which scares many investors as this, in theory, is not only bad for stocks, but also fixed income securities, real estate and business in general. But it is important to note that neither inflation nor the economy is heating up to a level that would back the Fed in to a corner. In fact, the current sluggish growth environment allows for plenty of patience. There is more than a 50% probability for a December rate hike, but a speedy increase is a low probability event, and this is more important than the timing. Since the current starting point is close to zero, there is some room before new levels start hurting the stock market strongly enough to push it to the next bear cycle, though the reception of information will surely result in volatility.

Another important point is that a rate hike would suggest that the economy is strong enough for such an action on FED’s part, which would justify expectations for further earnings growth and valuation expansion.

The US Economy

Another reason why the existing uptrend may have further legs, is that the economic data currently doesn’t suggest a recession. As long as the leading indicators and coincident economic figures point to a non-recessionary period, the chances of being stuck in a deep bear market is, historically speaking, low. Plus, being a leading indicator, the stock market would see a recession approaching and kick start a correction, well before the recession is officially announced. Once again, based on leading indicators, even though growth may tend to stay below average levels, the probability of a recession seems low, which supports the uptrend.

Length of Previous Cycles

As indicated above, a typical business cycle lasts anywhere between 5 to 7 years. With 2016 being the eighth year in this current business cycle, it raises eyebrows. I, myself, am a believer of studying historical trends (aka technical analysis) but the devil is always in the details. Not only the duration of a cycle, but also the level of growth in the cycle is a factor to consider.

Wages have started going up only recently and we still haven’t recovered in aggregate terms matching past recoveries. My point here: current below average growth creates a potential for an elongated business cycle. To reach historical averages, at current growth rates, the economy needs another three or four years to catch up.

Relative Valuations

Having said this, good reasons to be skeptical of continued growth are high valuations and how expensive investments have become. There is more than one way to look at this, and by some absolute calculations, stocks are in a bubble territory. However, when you look at relative valuation measures (stock returns in relation to returns from other asset classes), one gets a different result. In other words, when investing in Treasuries become cost prohibitive in a rising rate environment, and the sweet deals in real estate are harder to come by, a high dividend paying stock may appear more attractive. To gain some perspective, operating price/earnings ratio of Standard & Poor’s index is now around 20, which was around 50 in 2000, before the tech bubble burst.

Past Market Cycles

Last two long-term (secular) stock market periods were between 1942-1966 (24 years) and 1982-2000 (18 years). Current bull cycle, which started in 2009, is in year eight, and it could very well be in the second half or two thirds of a secular cycle. In other words, based on historical periods, the current cycle might very well have more time to run.

Emerging Markets

Overseas markets such as China, India, South America and Japan, may start seeing reversal of their past downtrends, which will most likely help US markets. This view has already been supported by recent traction seen in these markets. It may also be important to note that more than 50% of Standard & Poor’s company earnings come from overseas. Recent stabilization of the US dollar has created a tailwind for these markets. This is good news for globally diversified investors.

Consumer

Leaving best for last, full employment, increasing participation rates, wage increases, spillover effects of the price appreciation in stocks and housing, low commodity prices, low inflation, and low interest rates, all contribute to the relatively decent shape the US consumer is in. The US economy is 80% consumer driven. The state of the sentiment in this area is extremely important. The reasons I have listed above may go back and forth in mild rates, but a major change doesn’t appear likely in the near term, which supports the consumer theme being intact, as well as the economy and the stock market.

Summary

In summary, I am still cautiously optimistic about the US economy and its stock market, and I believe that the uptrend is intact. At all-time highs, markets are exposed to shocks and higher volatility. These shocks will probably be shallow and short-term, which should be seen as buying opportunities until proven otherwise and data points to a different direction.

Thanks for reading my commentary and as always, you can reach me at bbakan@shieldwm.com for questions and comments.

Disclosure

The strategies discussed are strictly for illustrative and educational purposes and should not be construed as a recommendation to purchase or sell, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. There is no guarantee that any strategies discussed will be effective. The information provided is not intended to be a complete analysis of every material fact respecting any strategy. The examples presented do not take into consideration commissions, tax implications, or other transactions costs, which may significantly affect the economic consequences of a given strategy.

The information provided is not intended to be a tax advice. Investors should be urged to consult their tax professional or financial advisers for more information regarding their specific tax situations.